Review: SleepPhones

Sleep is not a topic much discussed around these parts. After all, "Sound" and "Vision" are two things not usually conducive to slumber.

But the company AcousticSheep has come up with an interesting product: SleepPhones, a soft fleece headband with embedded headphones, meant for comfortable listening while slumbering.

With the above picture in mind, how could we not review?

SleepPhones are available in black, gray, or lavender, so you can remain stylish even while you sleep drool. The band is a soft Polartec fleece, made from 88% recycled plastic polyester and 12% spandex. I love spandex, I also own [REDACTED BY S+V EDITOR FOR EMESIS PREVENTION]. Claimed frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with an impedance of 32 ohms.

Here's the part neither you or I were expecting: they actually sound pretty good. Compared to the rubbish we've recently surveyed, they have a more neutral frequency response, with little idiosyncratic flavoring. I'm not saying they'd win any audiophile awards, but for the price and intended use, they're surprisingly good.

So with a mid-day nap in mind, I started the first review of my career with sleep as a goal and not an unintended result. May the calming effects of music lull me to dreamland. . .

I eased into my relaxation with the peaceful, dulcet tones of "Testify" by Rage Against the Machine. The SleepPhones lacked deep bass or much high treble, neither of which you'd really want in a device designed to soothe. There wasn't any excessive coloration, though, and had you told me these were just a standard pair of headphones, I'd believe you.